Dabura

I've gone back and forth on my feelings about Jagr wearing the Winged Wheel. It's not that I really have an issue with the guy himself (though I understand why people do), it's that he'd almost certainly be a rental, and I don't imagine the Devils would give him up for cheap, given that they're in the hunt and that he's been arguably their best player this season. Of course, if Holland won't consider moving any key assets, all trade talk concerning the Wings is pretty much moot. Which pisses me off, yes.

Second Olympia.

I'd like to add: our first-round pick should be in play. Or, if not in play, then at least "possibly available." If what I'm hearing is true and Kenny's categorically refusing to even consider moving our 1st...that's immensely stupid. We're not the Sabres. We're not rebuilding. We're retooling (there's a difference), and we're doing so with a relatively deep prospect pool which has already given us Nyquist, Tatar, Sheahan, and Jurco. And DeKeyser would've gone in the first round had he been drafted, so he's basically a free first-round pick.

No offense, Flashy, because you're a good dude who makes kickass GDTs - but I'm an immature, impatient, impetuous Wings fan and I grow weary of "Let's wait until next season, because..." There will always be high-quality players available at the deadline, true - but there will also always be reasons, excuses, rationalizations as to why we shouldn't do anything. We have to improve significantly if we want to win one more Cup with Datsyuk and Zetterberg. I'm high on our young guns and Griffins, but Ouellet, Sproul, Pulkkinen, Jarnkrok - they're all at least one more season away. And even then, they'll only be rookies. (Brendan Smith is a reminder that being a very good defenseman in the NHL is very, very, very hard.) Meanwhile, our core will be that much older and probably less effective. Free agency sucks. We know the script: most of the top guys will re-sign, and the ones who don't will be looking to Get Paid and therefore won't be coming to Motown, because we're generally averse to bidding wars these days. We can't realistically expect a Daniel Alfredsson to fall into our collective lap every summer. (Collective Lap. Add that to the band name list.) Even Weiss was sort of a stroke of luck, as he was very keen on becoming a Wing. And, given Weiss's monumental struggles, I fear Kenny's never going to take a chance on a high-end free agent again. The only other option? Trade. I feel like maybe the stars are aligning for us here on the trade front. The cap room we'd need? Suddenly we have it. The attractive young roster players we'd need? Nyquist, Tatar, Sheahan, Jurco. Potentially high (and therefore quite valuable) first-round pick? Yep. And, of course, a wealth of promising prospects. (In Mantha - who may be having his first and last this-kid-is-just-plain-better-than-everyone-else season - we have, for the first time in a long time, a prospect that any and every GM in the league would probably love to have.) I'm not saying we should sell the farm, our future. I'm not saying we should be in on high-priced rentals like Vanek. I'm not saying we're a contender who just needs one big trade to put us over the top. I'm not saying we absolutely must make a big trade. I'm saying...Why not now? Why not do something this season? I feel we're in a position to make a significant move. I don't know that such a move is there to be made, but I've always believed that the possibilities are never limited to the rumors. Nearly any player can be had for the right price; a smart, creative, wily GM might make things happen. Easy for me to say, of course. But it's also easy to do nothing. /rant

Also: my understanding is that Gillis would, in fact, want a massive return for Kesler. So I really don't see him coming here, let alone with Edler. So maybe this thread topic is dumb.

A possibility I stupidly hadn't considered until just now: Gillis trades Edler and/or Kesler for Stewart and/or Ehrhoff. Or maybe Kesler for Moulson. Not that that would really fit with the Sabres' plans for a full-on rebuild, but, then again, they've lost their tough-as-nails veteran leader in Ott and their undisputed cornerstone in Miller. Not to mention Vanek and, probably, Moulson. Even a team in rebuild mode needs some quality veteran leadership.

We have a solid top six and an electric third line, even with some key forwards injured. We don't have a legitimate top four, even with a fully healthy D corps. Given that defense wins championships (see: Team Canada), we should be looking to bolster our blue line. Take care of the defense and the offense should take care of itself. (Indeed, the main reason why our offense has been sagging is that our blue line isn't driving and directing the attack like it used to, when we had an actual top four with not one but three all-star offensive defensemen playing monster minutes.)

I'm assuming he'll be back. He addressed the question a few days ago and basically said he's leaning that way, another season with the Wings.

Game delayed. Sun glare. lolz.

I think the danger of The Dreaded Recapture Penalty is generally overstated. Franzen's a good example.

Which is why I said: "The only issue with Ehrhoff is his contract." I've seen him play (more than once or twice). If we were a crapass defensive team, I wouldn't be interested. But we're armed to the teeth with defensively responsible forwards. What we could really use is a big, mean, single-minded sonsabitch who can penetrate the perimeter, crash the crease, score some garbage goals, create space. Let me put it this way: Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Stewart. Would Stewart's less-than-200-foot game be such a terrible weakness?

I have to think Edler-Kesler (Edsler?) would cost a king's ransom. The Canucks are one point out of the playoffs (last I checked), and Gillis has to be thinking about his legacy...and the possibility of redemption. That's largely why I'd prefer Ehrhoff-Stewart (Ehrwart? Stewhoff?) - they'd almost certainly come cheaper, even though it'd be intradivision. Maybe a 1st, two prospects, and a top-six forward?

I'd trade Helm before Sheahan. But I'd trade any of our young guns for the right return. Problem with even considering moving Helm is Weiss. He's still a question mark.

To people saying Ehrhoff isn't what we need: come off it. We need a top-four defenseman who can move the puck, QB the PP, drive the offense, put up points. Preferably a veteran (we have plenty of young talent), and, though we're looking for an o-minded guy, he needs to be good in his zone. Basically: a younger, lesser Kronwall. That's Ehrhoff. He and DeKeyser would be the second pairing, which would do wonders for him, as he's used to facing the opposition's top guns every shift of every game. Further, a top four of Kronwall-Ericsson and Ehrhoff-DeKeyser would allow for a solid third pairing for years to come. It'd be continuous war for those two spots, which would, in theory, bring out the best in Smith, Quincey (?), Lashoff, Kindl, Marchenko, Almqvist, Ouellet, Sproul. (One or two or three of those would ultimately have to be traded, of course). The only issue with Ehrhoff is his contract. Personally, I don't think it's all that terrible. As for Stewart - self-explanatory. Big, mean, RH power forward in his prime. I feel like people are probably making a bit too much of the rumors about him clashing with Hitchcock. As I've said before, everyone clashes with Hitchcock sooner or later. I mean, sure, he may have some maturity issues or whatever, and Babcock probably isn't the greatest coach of young talent. But it's well known that power forwards tend to have special development curves which can be frustrating, but which - you hope - is ultimately worth it. For us, a team sorely lacking in pretty much everything Stewart would bring to the table...I think it'd be worth it. At the right price. Ehrhoff-Stewart in 2014! Change we can believe in!

I just woke up. Haven't checked the latest. Still *thumbs up* on Ehrhoff and/or Stewart.

I keep hearing/reading that Ehrhoff might go for a 1st and a prospect and a young roster defenseman with upside, or any two of those. So, hey, maybe an Ehrhoff-Stewart package isn't totally out of the question for us.

I'm really keen on Pulkkinen. And Jarnkrok is the one prospect I'd absolutely refuse to trade. My thoughts exactly! Though, like SOAW said, it probably won't be next season. But that's not a bad thing.

Maybe we're in on this. Maybe we get Ehrhoff and Stewart. Maybe the moon landing was a hoax.

True, true.

Or maybe Stewart and/or Halak will be flipped elsewhere? More and more, I'm thinking they should. I honestly don't care about the first-round pick, and none of our prospects should be totally untouchable. Ugh, Ott and Girardi gone. On the same day. February 28 shall henceforth be Hockey Hates Dabura Day.

The Blues are going to be an absolute nightmare to play against in the playoffs. Stewart's a pretty big loss, though. Unless they're gonna be jerkoffs and somehow acquire Callahan, in which case the league should fine them for ruining the deadline. Kinda sucks for Stewart and Halak, no?

Seriously?

boooo

Actually, the really nice thing about Ehrhoff is that he can play an effective shutdown game if need be. I know I'm in the minority on this, but...I wouldn't mind Byfuglien. He could be that offensive defenseman or that scoring forward. At the very least, he'd help our PP. He'd have to come at a reasonable price, of course.

Another shutdown guy couldn't hurt, but - broken record alert! - I really think the priority should be an offensive defenseman. Ericsson is a defensive defenseman. DeKeyser is a defensive defenseman. Quincey logs big minutes but doesn't put up points, so I guess we can call him a defensive defenseman. Lashoff is a defensive defenseman. That leaves Kronwall, Smith, Kindl. Smith is on the third pairing and Kindl is a healthy scratch. So, Kronwall is our only big gun on the blue line. So, Kronwall is lonely. Kronwall Ericsson Ehrhoff DeKeyser That'd be a very good, balanced top four.